Yonatan Sompolinsky — founder of Kaspa and winner of the Binance Blockchain 100 “Independent Researcher”category — has stirred major discussion in the crypto community after declining Binance’s invitation to attend the upcoming award ceremony in Dubai.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Sompolinsky expressed appreciation for the recognition but explained that he could not accept the invite out of respect for the Kaspa community, noting that:
“Many of the award voters are avid Kaspians who rooted for my Kaspa status as much as for my research. Let them win or count me out.”
His post quickly went viral, surpassing 2 million views, and sparked widespread debate across crypto circles. Sompolinsky criticized how the industry has evolved, saying crypto has shifted from its cypherpunk origins into a “house-friendly casino.”
He directly addressed Binance, arguing that as one of the most powerful players in the space, the exchange bears responsibility for steering the ecosystem’s direction and values. He also referenced the October crash linked to the USDe oracle glitch, calling it an example of issues that demand greater accountability from top platforms.
Sompolinsky further questioned Binance’s listing choices, contrasting the exchange’s rapid listing of meme tokens (“a green frog three weeks post-launch”) with its ongoing omission of Kaspa, a project he described as “fair-launched, Nakamoto-consensus, internet-speed, and marathon-mined.”
He urged Binance to “hold a privilege policy for cypherpunk crypto,” suggesting that true decentralization-focused projects deserve differentiated treatment compared to speculative assets.
Despite the post’s enormous traction, neither Binance nor CZ have issued any public response.
The Kaspa community, which played a decisive role in voting Sompolinsky into the top position, continues to call for accountability and transparency, hoping that Binance’s silence doesn’t mark indifference but rather reflection — on how exchanges define “strong projects” and shape the future of the blockchain movement.
